Finding a Home
by LightningFuryStrike13
Summary: At twenty-one years of age Rachel Barbra Berry was a Broadway success, a NYADA student and homeless.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or her characters.

Finding a Home

At twenty-one years of age Rachel Barbra Berry was a Broadway success, a NYADA student and homeless.

While the word homeless normally conjures up a vision of a dirty, bearded man sleeping in a cardboard box somewhere Rachel's was much more benign. She didn't even realize she was homeless for a long time. Until the day she showed up at the door for her monthly week long stay with Elliot to find that he had finally gotten a permanent roommate. Rachel stood there staring at the closed door, Elliott's apologetic face burning in her memory, for several minutes. Then she picked up her two large red suitcases and walked back outside.

She texted Blaine only to learn that Kurt and Mercedes were there. It was unspoken that they were there to complain about her. Santana was of course back at the apartment she lived in most of the time having kicked Rachel out for the hundredth time it seemed. Rachel didn't allow herself to think about the fact that the apartment she'd originally found with Kurt, that her name was on the lease for, she was kicked out of for the time being. She picked up her suitcases and caught the attention of a cabbie.

Oh it wasn't permanent. It never was. Kurt, Mercedes, and Santana took turns getting fed up with her and kicking her out. They went to their boyfriends to give her time to pack and get out. She normally went to Elliot's for a week and paid him enough rent money to keep him from losing his apartment but he had even less tolerance for her than the others did sadly. They clashed constantly despite the fact that they did honestly like each other outside of the living situation.

Then she'd leave for Blaine and Sam's model apartment they shared with two other male models. She actually loved living with the guys the best of all. Everyone had tightly regimented diets so her veganism was encouraged. Many of them walked around nearly nude so her own nudist tendencies didn't cause any concern with anyone and everyone tended to get up super early for photo shoots so her early morning vocal warmups and work outs didn't bother anyone. She usually only got to stay with them a week at a time though before Kurt and Mercedes started thinking a little too hard about Rachel staying with their boyfriends and sweetly asked her back pretending to have missed her. Acting like they were good enough performers to hide the seething jealousy in their eyes.

It was so routine that for the last year Rachel didn't even unpack anymore. She lived out of her suitcases in each apartment that let her have a place to sleep. Now those places were down to two and there was no way she could go directly to the guys from the girls.

She got out of the taxi at the Wooden Fish; a bar owned by a former Broadway technician named Russ. She'd gone to this bar with co-workers after shows and knew if nothing else Russ would let her warm herself at the bar for a few hours while she tried to figure out what to do.

She slide a bright red suitcase on either side of her normal stool as Russ came towards her with a frown on his face. "Moving in Fanny?"

Rachel sighed, "Elliot found a permanent roommate. I've been kicked out of Bushwick and I can't move in with Blaine and Sam yet. My whole routine is thrown off now."

Russ looked confused. "What? Start at the beginning." Russ filled a shaker with ice and poured Frangelico and white crème de cocoa over it before shaking it up and pouring it into shot glass slowly. A crispy layer of ice formed over the edges of the shot as Rachel explained.

"When I moved up here I lived in the NYADA dorms but my roommate was a slut. Luckily my friend Kurt, who's gay, moved up here too and we got a large warehouse apartment in Bushwicks. We got in right before that borough exploded so it was surprisingly cheap. Everything was mostly okay. We had our fights but the place is big enough that we could avoid each other until we cooled down. Then Santana, this cheerleader who's always been horrible to me but she was in our Glee Club and therefore was sort of family dropped out of college in Kentucky and moved in with us. The fights got progressively worst but she's also like my only female friend in the city so…" Rachel shrugged like that made it okay. "Occasionally we'd fight and she'd kick me out-"

"Wait she kicked you out? It's your apartment." Russ seemed incredulous.

"You don't know Santana. She was the HBIC, Head Bitch in Charge, in high school. You don't get to tell her no. She's a monster with razor blades in her hair." Rachel took a sip of her shot glass and made a small noise of pleasure at the super sweet drink. "You should garnish this with a cookie."

"And you live with this person? Willingly?" Russ shook his head and headed down the bar to serve another customer before returning to where Rachel was still sipping slowly on her Crispy Crunch. He shook his head. She is too cute sometimes but that was hardly a reason to kick her out of her apartment.

"Anyway I knew my friend Elliot needed a roommate to help with rent on his apartment so I'd stay with him for like a week or so but while we're good friends outside we're terrible roommates. Just rub each other completely wrong. So eventually I had to leave there too." Rachel explained.

"Even though you helped pay rent?" Russ could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Yeah. Then I moved in with Blaine, Kurt's boyfriend, and Sam, Mercedes' boyfriend. They live with two other guys and they're all models but Blaine who's a NYADA student like me."

"Please tell me you didn't pay rent there too." Russ was confused Rachel was a smart girl. Surely she realized this was wrong.

"No but I did buy some of the groceries. I'm not a freeloader." Rachel defended herself.

"No you're certainly not that." 'But you are getting taken advantage of.' Russ thought to himself.

"But then after a week or so Mercedes and Kurt-"

"Who's Mercedes?"

"Another member of our old Glee Club. Her and Kurt are besties. She's working on getting an album out but mostly sings backup at concerts and such. She moved in with us maybe a year ago."

"Never heard of her." Russ deadpanned.

Rachel shrugged.

"She a bitch to you too?" Russ asked.

Rachel shifted uncomfortably on her chair. "We've never gotten along. She's a really good singer and we fought for the spot light a lot. Kurt did too. We're all huge divas."

"And yet you let her live with you?"

"She kind of just showed up and told us she was moving in."

"Do Santana and Mercedes pay rent?"

"Yeah. We split it four ways."

"Why do I have a feeling you pay most of it?" Russ crossed his massive arms and dug his fingers into his biceps.

"Well I have the best paying job. It's $1800 in total. I pay $600 because the lease is in my name and they pay $400."

"You realize how insane that is right? You're paying rent and buying groceries at three different places one of which is in your name and these bitches keep kicking you out."

"I'm really hard to live with." Rachel explained but she looked sad.

"I don't think I really believe that."

"I do my vocal exercises early in the morning. The air is better and I sing every day. I have to be prepared." Rachel pointed out the most common complain.

"The rest of these 'divas' are singers too. They don't do vocal exercises?"

"No." Rachel pouted.

Russ rolled his eyes. "Well now we know why I've never heard of them. They don't practice?"

Rachel shrugged. "Not in my hearing. They complain about my vegan food and my time in the bathroom and all my neurotic perfectionist tendencies and my casual nudity."

"And they don't have things you find annoying."

"Oh G-d so many. In a way I kind of like moving so often cause I get to get away from them just as much as they get to get away from me."

"Why don't you just get your own place?"

Rachel was quiet for a moment and bit her lip pensively. "I don't like living alone. My dads were away a lot when I was younger. I hate empty places."

"Then get a pet. Look Rachel when's your lease up on the Bushwick apartment?"

"Next month."

"Go talk to the apartment manager and tell him you're not renewing the lease in your name that he'll need to contact the other occupants for that. For tonight you're crashing on my couch. Tomorrow you're going to Hell's Kitchen. I got a buddy who's a super out there. He'll hook you up with an apartment of your own."

"Okay." Rachel looked at him with wide eyes.

"And Rachel?"

"Yeah."

"Stop letting people take advantage of you and beat you down. You're an amazing woman and a phenomenal singer. Don't forget it."

Rachel blushed but finally smiled at him widely. "Thank you Russ. So much."

"No problem." Russ moved down the bar to take care of another customer before pulling out his cell and calling his buddy Mark, a superintendent in Hell's Kitchen, and explaining the situation before handing the phone to Rachel to give him her information. She had to pass a security check of course but she could move in tomorrow with Russ vouching for her. She would have to pay last month and this month's rent by the end of the month.

"I can do that. I've been putting some money back anyway. It was for my student loans but I'll probably save money moving in instead of paying rent at two different places. Oh are the apartments sound proof by any chance because I do my vocal exercises and- they are? That's great. Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay. Bye."

Rachel smiled as she handed Russ his phone back. "How can I ever repay you?"

Russ chuckled. "Got a free night you could come and sing? I'll pay ya."

"If you're paying me it's not really me paying you back."

"If I have Rachel Berry singing in my bar once a week I'll draw in more revenue that I pay you. I guarantee it."

"I'm free tonight."

"Alright. Let me update the bar's Facebook page to say you're singing tonight and every?"

"Thursday."

"Every Thursday. I always post whenever you're singing and typically business immediately picks up. Thank you."

"No. Thank you. Hmm any requests?"

Russ laughed. "How about Stand By Me for starters given my actions tonight and then you can take requests from the audience or sing whatever." He pulled a hat out from behind the bar. "Here's your tip jar for now."

Rachel smiled and let Russ put her suitcases behind the bar. He offered to run them upstairs to his apartment later.

Rachel hopped up on stage and watched as people's interest perked up. She put the hat in front of the mic and turned it on before heading over the amps to adjust things so her voice wouldn't be distorted.

"Hello everyone I'm Rachel Berry and I'm singing tonight and every Thursday night from now on. I'll be taking requests from the audience but the first song goes out to Russ. 'When the night has come…"

As Rachel's sweet voice filled the bar and leaked out on to the street Russ saw people stop outside and come in to listen. His phone started pinging with responses to the Facebook post and he propped it up under the bar so he could respond as much as possible in between serving the influx of customers. Rachel's genre's cycled through Broadway classics, pop songs, heavy metal and even a rap song once which was hilarious to watch. His hat was soon overflowing and Russ smiled. Yes this was going to work out great.


	2. Chapter 2

Rachel didn't bother to tell any of her friends what she was doing. She spoke to the Bushwick apartment manager after classes one day when she knew the rest were at work and starting going through the apartment filling her now empty suitcases with her books, movies, and records.

She felt kind of sneaky about it and started wondering how much she could take before they realized she was moving out. It would be especially difficult because Santana constantly went through everyone's things. On the other hand she always took her most precious items with her because she didn't want them to destroy anything she'd left.

On Thursday however she, Mark and Russ came by and stripped her room bare before heading to her storage unit that held all the things she'd taken from her home in Ohio after it sold. There was barely room for her in her tiny apartment once everything was moved in and she resigned herself to slowly going through and giving things away. Mark pointed out where the recycling bins were but otherwise left her to it until it was time in sing at The Wooden Fish. Russ was expecting a large crowd and Mark was bouncing. Privately both men would feel a lot better about Rachel walking through Hell's Kitchen at night with Mark's larger than life presence beside her.

&^%&$%^&$%^&$^%&$^%&$%^&$^&$^%&$^^%^&

Santana did her usual perusal of Rachel's things after she left. Going through her trash and rolling her eyes at the perfectly arranged everything. Nothing out of place. Ever. Rachel was so boring. She stole some emergency chocolate the girl had tucked away under her mattress then went to watch reality TV for the rest of the night.

$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$

Mercedes picked up the mail and casually flipped through it as she climbed the stairs. She was a bit grumpy as Rachel would be moving from Elliot's apartment to Sam's in a few days and she was not happy about that arrangement at all. Little bitch didn't think she saw the way she was eyeing her man up she was wrong. Coming up on Rachel at the apartment to find her curled up on the couch with him while he played his video games. Her in her little shorty shorts and some man's shirt on her. She didn't think Mercedes knew what she was about?

On the other hand Santana refused to deal with Rachel for more than two weeks at a time. Sending her to Elliot's for a week and then Sam's let them all unwind a little without Rachel's grating presence. Seriously she did those ridiculous vocal exercises every day! At 5 am in the morning. When decent people were trying to sleep. She tossed the mail on the tabletop with an almost malicious glee in the face of the fact that when Rachel was there she got the mail and separated and stacked it all neatly beside every one's plates. She walked over to pour her morning cocoa puffs ignoring the letter addressed to Rachel marked urgent.

$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#%^#$%^#%6

Kurt gathered the left over letters for Rachel after a few days and tossed them through her curtain carelessly. The urgent marked letter from their apartment manager slipped unnoticed under her bed. Kurt groused at a tub clogged with dark hair wondering if it was left over from Rachel or Santana or Mercedes but he cleaned it out before taking a nice hot bath. He was going over to Blaine's later that week to make sure Rachel kept her freakish hands away from his boyfriend. He frowned as the memory of Blaine's face as he pulled back from Rachel's kiss played through his head again. The way those wide hazel eyes had stared down at her so softly before he'd glanced over her head at him, his face went blank and he declared that he was 100% gay. The suspicious way he'd went to the bathroom immediately afterwards. Blaine was bi as much as Kurt hated to admit it and Rachel was much more dangerous to Blaine's fidelity than Sam or the heterosexual male models Blaine lived with in his opinion.

$%^#$%^#$%&#$&^&#%^#$%^#$%^#

Rachel spotted the letter after Russ and Mark had carried her mattress out. She'd already filled out a change of address form of course but still she opened the letter and read the notice of her dissolution of the lease and the need for Kurt and the others to come by and fill out the forms necessary to transfer the apartment. She left the notice in the center of the kitchen table and finished packing her remaining belongings up.

$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$

"Hello Gorgeous!" Rachel gave the packed room a huge smile as they whistled and cheered her ascension to the stage. "Okay everyone I'm starting with another thank you to Russ, the owner and bartender, and our bouncer, Mark, who is my new super for all their help. Most of you probably wouldn't know it to look at me but this time last week I was kind of homeless." At the wave of aww and sounds of concern came from the audience some of which she saw were her cast mates who looked very concerned as Rachel hadn't mentioned this to them at all.

"But Russ called Mark who found me a space in his building and they helped me get moved in so a big hand to these two wonderful men. This song is for you." Rachel waited for the applause to die down before humming a second and breaking into a heartbreakingly beautiful rendition of Find Out Who Your Friends Are. There were more than a few wet eyes after she was done but Rachel gave them a big smile and explained she was taking requests at the cost of a beer from the bartender.

Rachel sung a wide variety of songs only getting stumped once when someone asked her to sing something from Nightwish and she didn't know the band but she promised to learn the song during the week and if they'd come back next week it'd be the first song she sung.

Rachel had made a colorful tip jar covered in stars to replace Russ' hat and placed a notepad and pencil for people to make their requests at the bar. The notepad made its way around the room before returning to her fully filled out. After five songs she took a break and drunk some hot lemon tea Russ had brewing behind the bar at her request. She sang the whole night until only a few people were left and Russ was closing the bar.

She screwed the lid on the tip jar and took it over to Russ where he had a bank bag ready to let her empty it again. "I can't believe I got so many tips. Umm do you need like a cover charge or something? How does this work?"

"I pay you to come sing remember?" Russ put another $100 in the bank bag before zipping it up and hanging it back to her with a smile. "Great job with the song requests prompting people to buy drinks and the drink requests. Good thing you like the high end stuff."

"But I didn't drink any of it. You put my tea in the shot glasses." Rachel thought that was clever. The waitress started bring her the drinks and she'd been leery of drinking and singing but the first time she'd thrown the shot back she'd been surprised to find it was warm and contained her lemon tea.

"Doesn't matter. Customer was happy they got to buy you a drink and I charged them like they'd bought you a Crispy Crunch." Russ chuckled. "If you want I can keep track of how much you get bought and when you reach a whole bottle of the stuff I'll send a bottle of each home with you?"

Rachel giggled. "Sure. Keep track for me and when I get through those bottles at home you can give me another. Should only take me a year or three. I don't really drink that much."

"You got a deal." Russ chuckled. Thursday's were looking to turn into his most lucrative night. He'd promoted Rachel on his Facebook page pretty heavily throughout the week and posted on promotion sites as well. The joint had been packed and he'd raked it in.

"Get our girl home safe hey Mark."

Mark tucked Rachel's little body under one huge arm and ambled out of the bar with her as Russ locked the door behind them.

^%#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^$#%^#$%^#$%^

Across town Kurt and Mercedes blew into Blaine and Sam's apartment with their faces wreathed in tight smiles expecting to see Rachel curled up in a chair playing on her phone and showing off her ridiculously long legs but instead walked into a COD marathon while Blaine was making something in the kitchen that contained a lot of cheese and more than a few peppers.

Mercedes got a head nod from Sam who was concentrating on the screen and she took a seat on the side with her arms crossed and an unhappy look on her face. She'd gotten in front of the TV one time that they'd been playing one of these games and discovered that Thomas and Jonathan could get pretty into their game. When she'd caused them to lose both men had banned her from the apartment for a month solid before letting Sam invite her back. Now she just silently seethed.

Kurt headed to the kitchen. "That's a lot of cheese."

"Oh yeah. Beautiful isn't it?" Blaine grinned as he made the layered dip. "It's cheat day."

"I see. What's our little vegan miss have to say about all that dairy?" Kurt looked around but he didn't see Rachel's suitcases.

"She'd probably wrinkle her nose at us if she was here."

"She isn't?"

"Nope. I haven't talked to her at all this week. She texted me last Thursday asking if you guys were still here but nothing since then." Blaine was distracted as he sliced olives and peppers. He appeared to be making his own homemade salsa in a pot on the stove. "You know she goes kind of radio silent while she's at Elliot's."

"Yeah but it's late I expected her to be here by now."

"She knows its cheat day. She probably stopped off to get something she can eat."

Kurt nodded but nonetheless he was a little worried. It was dark. Rachel didn't travel in the rough neighborhoods after dark unless she was with one of them. Kurt pulled out his phone and shot her a text message.

%$^#%$^#%^#%^#%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$5^

Mark dropped Rachel off at her door with a friendly kiss to the top of her head. Rachel smiled at him and opened the seven locks to get inside. Once she was inside and had locked all nine locks she knocked a little shave and a haircut on the door and Mark responded before finally leaving. He wasn't leaving anything to chance especially since Rachel had a rather large wad of money with her.

Rachel turned and slowly walked among the towering boxes to her bed and fell back on it. She was alone and she waited for the silence to press in on her the way it used to when she was in high school and her dads were away on a business trip or a cruise. But instead she heard the sounds of cars outside her cracked window. The light coming in from the window was muted but still there. It reminded her that although she was alone inside this small space there were millions of people just outside her door. Mark was downstairs and Russ was down the street. The rest of her friends were just a subway ride away. Rachel smiled happily. She loved New York City.

She got up to shower and dug her large I heart NY shirt out to sleep in before fixing herself a cup of mint tea and finally crawling into bed at four am for a few hours nap. Her first class wasn't until ten and living so much closer to campus meant she got to sleep a lot later. She forgot to check her phone at all.

$%^#$%^#$%&^%&^%&^%&$%^ $%^ $%^ $

Kurt and Mercedes were getting ready to go. Sam was trying to coax a kiss from an upset Mercedes while Kurt was checking his phone for a reply from Rachel with a worried look matched by Blaine.

"I'm calling Starchild. Maybe she decided to stay another night."

"Maybe he murdered her and dumped the body in the Hudson." Mercedes groused. She was completely not in the mood to be worried about little Miss Rachel Berry. She bet Sam and his boys wouldn't have ignored her all night.

Sam winced. "That's not very nice Mercedes. I know you don't get along with her but Rachel's not that bad. I live with her too sometimes remember? We don't have a problem with her. If you and Kurt could get over being jealous of her we'd let her stay here all the time."

"What did you say? I am NOT jealous of that little hussy." Mercedes put her fists on her hips and was about to launch into a tirade that had Thomas and Jonathan rolling their eyes and heading for their rooms.

"Starchild said he hasn't seen Rachel since last Thursday." Kurt's voice cut her off. He hung up the phone and looked down at his text to Rachel which still hadn't gotten a reply. "He said he got a new roommate. A permanent one and that there was no room for Rachel."

"Well I saw her Tuesday at NYADA. It was down the hallway before classes but she waved at me. So I know she was okay as of then." Blaine commented.

"Santana would have told us if she didn't show up to work." Mercedes pointed out. One of the reasons Santana insisted on Rachel staying gone for two weeks was the fact that she had to deal with her at work as well.

"Why isn't she answering my texts then?" Kurt asked in a somewhat panicked voice.

"Not to go out on a limb here or anything but maybe she's pissed at you?" Jonathan said. He was grabbing a couple of bottles of water from the fridge.

"Why would she be pissed at me?" Kurt asked.

"Uh gee let me think." Jonathan in a voice that suggested he thought it should be pretty damn obvious. "You kick her out of an apartment she pays rent on for two weeks at a time. Then Starchild or whatever the fuck his name is kicks her out when she pays rent there too then you guys come over here like a couple of jealous bitches so she can't come here immediately. She may have had to find a hostel or slept at the theater or something. That's some pretty good reasons to be pissed. If Thomas and others tried to kick me out of here, when I pay rent? Fuck that shit. I ain't going nowhere. But I tell ya one thing. Lease ain't in my name. I'd be gone if you treated me like that and fuck ya all trying to come up with the other part of rent. Maybe all y'all finally pushed little Rachie too far." He finished in an obnoxious tone of voice that suggested he thought they all were idiots before tossing the other bottle to Thomas who'd been standing in the hallway listening. Thomas gave them an unimpressed look before following Jonathan down the hall.

Blaine pulled out his phone. He was starting to feel really bad. But it'd all gotten routine. Rachel would annoy Santana, Mercedes or Kurt pass the breaking point and she'd head to Elliot's for a week. During that week she typically didn't talk to them at all something Santana suggested to give them all a break from her before she descended on the models. Then she'd live with the models for a week the most annoying part of that being that Mercedes and Kurt visited constantly and dropped in unannounced all that week before telling Rachel to come home with them. Elliot had messed up the routine though and because of the week long radio silence Rachel hadn't felt like she couldn't ask any of them for help.

"Okay look. Kurt and I will hunt her down at school tomorrow. If she hasn't answered us yet she's not going to. You guys go on home. We'll talk tomorrow. Jon's right. This has got to stop. We're not being very good friends to Rachel." Blaine told them as he sighed down at his phone.

Sam frowned and held the door open. Now Mercedes went in for a kiss but Sam ignored her. He was really worried about Rachel now. He knew what it was like to be homeless and he wouldn't wish it on anyone. That fact that Rachel had technically been moving from place to place for over a year now bothered him a lot once he started thinking about it.

Kurt and Mercedes went home to find Santana was using her one night off from the show on a one night stand. She'd thrown them a text letting them know not to wait up and didn't that hit them the wrong way. No one was waiting up for Rachel. No one ever did. They each went to their rooms ignoring the piece of paper on the table.


	3. Chapter 3

Rachel slipped the money pouch into her bag the next morning along with her books. She'd drop it off at the bank before she headed to the theater. Her phone was dead unfortunately so she put it on charge before she left and made sure to lock all seven locks. She stopped by Elliot's Starbucks and the boy had her favorite ready to go.

"I feel bad about the whole thing. I've thought about it all week. While it's nice to have a permanent roommate and not have to worry about you finding another situation and leaving me high and dry I felt bad that it was my week with you and that I didn't give you fair warning."

Rachel waved him off with a smile. "It's okay. It really gave me the kick in the pants I needed to finally find my own place. I've been floating from you to Blaine to Kurt for over a year now and I gotta tell you being basically homeless with people constantly telling you to get out?" She shook her head and her show face cracked a bit to show her sadness underneath the mask. "Not fun."

Elliot winced. "Okay now I feel really bad."

Rachel looked down. "It's okay."

"No it's not. I'm sorry Rachel. I love you as a person you know that right?"

"I know. This is best though. Living alone I mean. I'm gonna get a dog or cat or both. I've got a great new super who loaned me his truck so I could empty my storage locker into my new apartment. The bartender who introduced me to the super gave me a weekly gig singing at his bar which netted me a lot of tips. Really you slamming the door in my face turned out for the best in the end." Rachel smiled. She was starting to get excited about this new chapter in her life. In her future autobiography this last chapter would be titled "The Year All My Dreams Came True But I was Homeless Too". Well the title needed some work but it was sure to be an interesting chapter.

Elliot winced but acknowledged that he had kind of just shut the door in her face. He really should have at least invited her in out of the hallway and let her sit down and call around for another place to stay. He chose to focus on the happier aspects as Rachel seemed to be. "You got a regular singing gig? That's great. Where at?"

"The Wooden Fish. On Thursdays. You should come. I take requests. I gotta go. See ya." Rachel dug the cash out of her tip bag to pay for the coffee before heading on to school.

Elliot waved at her somewhat sadly before returning to what he was doing. However as he spotted the cash on the counter he determined to tell every one of his customers about Rachel singing at the Wooden Fish on Thursday. Promoting her new gig was the least he could do.

"Hi Welcome to Starbucks! Have you heard that Rachel Berry is singing at the Wooden Fish on Thursdays now?"

$%^#%^##%^&%^&%^&#$&#$^$%^#$^#$&#&#^%

The next morning Mercedes woke everyone up as she sat at the table and finally read the letter Rachel had placed there. "KURT! SANTANA! Wake up!"

"This had better be important." Santana growled at her. Her hair was a mess and she looked as if she hadn't really slept yet.

Kurt came from the bathroom with a cotton ball in his hand. Fortunately he was mostly finished with his skin care routine.

"Have you seen this?" Mercedes waved the letter at them. "It says Rachel isn't renewing the lease! We have to meet with the super as soon as possible to put it in one of our names and since the lease is transferring we have to pay two months' rent up front or face a rent increase."

"What!?" Santana snatched the letter from Mercedes' hand. "Oh I'm going kill that bitch."

"For what? Ending a lease on a place she doesn't get to stay at more than a couple of weeks at a time?" Kurt defended his friend. Granted he didn't like that he'd had to find out about it like this but he was remembering Jonathan's words last night. Rachel's name was on the lease but it was coming due for renewal in a couple of weeks. They really didn't have any right to kick her out like they did. In fact Kurt wasn't sure if Rachel couldn't press charges.

"She could have warned us." Santana replied.

"When? This week is 'radio silence' remember? That was your idea. Which by the way is why we didn't find out until last night that Rachel never made it to Elliot's." Kurt told her.

Now Santana froze and gave Kurt that could almost be taken for concern if you tilted your head to the side and squinted. "What do you mean she didn't make it to Elliot's? Is she at Model HQ?"

"No. She didn't show up last night. I called Starchild to see if she stayed another night but he said he hadn't seen her since last week. He's got a permanent roommate and there's no room for her there anymore. She texted Blaine asking if Mercedes and I were at his place and then nothing. She's answered none of our texts or calls since then."

"Have you called the police?" Santana demanded to know. Her mask was beginning to crack now.

"Blaine says he saw her at NYADA Tuesday. They waved to each other but that's it. So we know she's okay as of then."

Santana took a deep breath and gave her head a good shake. She'd jumped straight to worry. "Of course. And she must have done the show Wednesday night because they didn't call me."

"You don't see her backstage?" Mercedes asked.

"Not if I can help it. Especially when she's not living here. Those weeks we walk home together." Santana admitted. She sank down into a chair at the table "but we still don't know where she's been sleeping or where she was last night?"

"Nope. Blaine and I are going to catch up with her at school."

"Could she have hit up another cast mate? Or do they all hate her?" Mercedes' tone letting them know which one she believed.

"Ha. Most of our cast mates love Rachel. She's always on time. Never misses a line. Sings like an angel. Knows everyone else's lines as well." Santana groused. She'd bitched about Rachel only once to their cast mates and got several strange looks. Not to say Rachel wasn't a diva but her behavior was expected to some degree and surprisingly she didn't go too overboard. Once the crew had figured out what she liked it was easy to accommodate her. Warm water with specific lemons, no honey. Do not interrupt her during her pre-show ritual. She did the mascara and eye liner during makeup. Otherwise she was fairly tame compared to some horror stories Santana had heard backstage.

"So she could have stayed with one of them?" Mercedes asked.

"Maybe." But Santana sounded doubtful. She was sure she'd have heard about something like that especially since it was known they were roommates.

"Call around and ask. Cedes, go see the super. Let him know we're going to renew the lease. I have to go." Kurt went back to the bathroom to finish his routine.

^% #$^ $^ #^ $%^ $%^ $%^ $^!#$$^&^& #$^$

Rachel made it through her ten o'clock but by twelve she was jonesing for another caffeine fix or a nap. Fortunately she reflected with a smile having an apartment in Manhattan meant she could head home after class and a trip to the bank for a brief nap and still make it to the show warmups on time.

She was just leaving her last class when Blaine caught up to her and she saw Kurt coming from the other direction. The two men mushed her between them in relief.

"Oh my Barbra! Diva don't you ever do that to me again!" Kurt tucked her head under his chin in relief.

"Seriously Rachel why didn't you just tell me about Elliot? You could have come on over and stayed with Sam and me. You know we're happy to have you." Blaine hugged her from behind tightly holding her slim body to his muscular form.

"Hey guys. I missed you." Rachel smiled at them hugging Kurt first and tilting her head back to kiss the underside of his chin before curling a hand behind Blaine's head to bring his stubbed cheek within reach of her lips for a kiss.

"Where have you been?" Kurt asked his brow furrowed with worried. Rachel still hadn't answered his text that morning.

"Are you mad at us?" Blaine asked.

"Of course not….a little yeah." Rachel sighed. "I guess I didn't realize it until Elliot wouldn't let me in that I was essentially…homeless."

Both men winced.

"I went to a bar my cast mates take me to sometimes and the bartender let me crash on his couch that night."

"Rachel you texted me that night. Why didn't you just come on over?" Blaine asked her turning her around to face him.

Rachel shifted uncomfortably before glancing over her shoulder at Kurt. "I didn't think it would be wise."

Kurt winced and sighed. "I'm sorry Rachel. I-I know you're bi Blaine. Or at least that Rachel is an exception for you and…" Kurt didn't want to say it.

"And I cheated once before but Kurt you know even if I was weak Rachel would never betray you that way." Blaine wrapped his arms back around Rachel and pulled her in close again. This wasn't her fault. This was Kurt's own insecurities.

"I know but I also know it's not just you. Sam looks at Rachel a lot too and Mercedes has noticed."

"And she's also insecure about Sam because of the whole chastity thing. Look I know I don't have the best rep because of Finn but Sam and I are just friends." Rachel said.

"Kurt…"Blaine struggled with how he was going to say this without hurting Kurt's feelings. "I love you but we're guys and Rachel's beautiful. We're going to look at her. Hell Thomas and Jonathan had a whole conversation with her with she first moved in about what was and was not okay in the affection and ogling department."

"Looking is okay but don't touch me when I'm nude. No crawling in to sleep with me. Hugging and kisses are allowed as long as they are casual and remain in the safety zones." Rachel repeated the rules with a smile. There were worst things than free affection from a couple of gorgeous guys.

Kurt still looked uncomfortable but he put a brave smile on and tugged Rachel back into his embrace and kissed the top of her head. "Okay. So tell us everything. Where have you been? What have you been doing? Where have you been sleeping?"

"I've actually not left Manhattan besides to empty out Bushwicks and my storage unit. I went to The Wooden Fish and the bartender, Russ, let me crash on his couch and then introduced me to a friend of his, Mark, who's a super. He had an apartment open and loaned me his truck to get the rest of my things. Oh and I talked to the Bushwick super and told him I wasn't renewing the lease. Did you guys get the letter about needing to see him?"

"Yes this morning. Mercedes and Santana are furious."

"Why?"

"Because it's their default reaction to anything you do." Blaine said dryly.

%^$%^#$%^#%^#$%^#$%^$%^$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^

Both boys had another class but Rachel promised to see them after her afternoon show for dinner the next day. She went to a local Manhattan branch of her bank to empty her bank bag of tips and pay. Once the machine was done she was surprised to find she'd made three hundred and eighty six dollars in tips alone. Russ' hundred meant she'd made almost five hundred dollars in one night. She deposited almost all of it but kept a hundred in small bills for grocery shopping.

She walked out of the bank and stretched yawning on the sidewalk. She had to be at the theater by six for the pre-show warmups. It was only one. She had plenty of time for a little nap.

She waved to Mark and bent to pet his huge pit bull Tito before taking the stairs to the fourth floor, unlocking seven locks, relocked nine and navigating the cardboard city of stacked boxes to get to her bed. She grabbed her now charged phone and set the alarm for five. She glance over the multitude of calls and texts but dismissed them for now. Blaine and Kurt had seen her and of their friends they were the most important she felt. The ones that had been truly worried about her.

She stripped and slipped her I heart NY t-shirt back over her head before crawling back into the unmade piles of blankets and pillows to fall back asleep. She didn't notice the neighbor the next building over catching a glance at her through the window.


	4. Chapter 4

After a month Rachel wondering why she let herself get kicked out and moved over and over again. Having her own place to call home was amazing. She guessed she wouldn't appreciate it so much if she hadn't gone through that. The experience had produced a number of new songs.

She was toweling her hair off as she slipped through the narrow door of her bathroom. She stopped by her tiny kitchen to put the tea kettle on and started the dishwasher now that she was out of the shower. Her apartment was still a cardboard jungle but she was making her way through things slowly but surely. Her walls were a crazy mixture of things hung everywhere with no rhyme or reason given to decorating just yet.

She'd found her old myspace camera and had started a video blog on youtube of her sorting through her stuff. She wasn't getting a lot of hits but the comfort of getting to talk to the camera while she went through her baby clothes and her tiny trophies was helping her let go.

One of things she was happiest about she'd been surprised to find was the lack of communication from her old friends. She saw Kurt and Blaine at school of course and occasionally caught sight of Santana backstage. The Latina had grabbed her the first time she'd seen her after she'd moved out and gave her a good shake. She thought she was about to get yelled at for backing out of the lease but instead she'd been given a hypocritical speech about keeping in touch and to never worry her like that again. All delivered in Santana's typical belittling way with her harshest language but Rachel had given her hug and promised to send her a text every Thursday so Santana would know she was okay. Santana had glared at her like she hated her before telling she'd hunt her down and cut her if she didn't before stomping off. Their cast mates had been utterly confused.

Rachel heard from Sam about once a week as well. Mostly about photo shoots. Thomas and Jonathan occasionally invited her over for cuddles but she was usually too busy. Mercedes she never heard from and she was pretty happy about that. Without New Directions constantly watching her she'd rekindled her friendship though not her relationship with Brody who'd started getting work as a dancer but kept his job as an escort. It'd taken a conversation with Puck to clear her head about it.

# $% #$% #$% #$% #$% #$

"Yo Rachel."

"Noah?"

"Yeah. Look Finn was telling me about that Brody guy being an escort or whatever. Can you give me his number? I'd like to know how much he makes and how I could get into that."

"Noah you don't want to be a prostitute."

Puck had laughed. "Hells yes I do. What do you think I've been doing since I was like thirteen? I cleaned pools then I fucked lonely milfs. Got paid well for it too. I'm trying the college scene but this is bullshit. What's a guy like me gonna do with a degree anyway? Sex work though? I'd own that."

"Wait so the whole time you were throwing that your momma stuff around you were serious?!"

"'Course I was. Puckerone's a badass. Now you still got this dude's number or what?"

Of course Rachel did and had given it to him but she'd also called Brody himself and apologized for judging him. She could hardly remain friends with Noah and not Brody especially when both men had similar places and roles in her life.

Brody had been pretty understanding about it.

"Hey Brody."

"Rachel? Hey girl. How ya been?"

"I'm good. I was homeless for a while there-"

"What?! You should have called me!"

"But I'm okay now. I always had a safe, warm place to sleep with friends. It's a long story. I'm calling to apologize. I shouldn't have judged you. I didn't really even give you a chance to explain yourself. Though I must admit your immediate concern is touching and in a way makes me feel even worst about severing our friendship."

"It's okay Rachel. A lot of people have a kind of knee jerk reaction to it. I understand. I'm not proud of it but its good money. I'm safe so you don't have to worry about me having given you anything while we were together. It's not hurting anyone either. I was really insulted when Santana implied I was a drug dealer. Fuck that."

"What made me realize I was wrong was my friend Noah. He's been cleaning pools since he was thirteen. I always thought he was joking about the fact that he was also sexing up the lonely housewives of Lima but it turns out…Anyway he wanted your number because he was hoping to come up here and break into the business so to speak."

"Yeah sure. I have a good amount of regulars that I wouldn't want to share but I can tell him how to get started. He is going to be staying with you or?"

"There's barely room in my apartment for me. I finally got my own place instead of couch surfing but it's tiny and the towers of cardboard boxes aren't helping. I need a shirt that says I got all my shit together I just can't remember where I put it. The local Good Will knows me by name now though because I've brought so much stuff to them."

Brody laughed. "Oh god that sounds like me. While I was in the dorms I got my stuff shipped up here and put in a storage locker. Once I got an apartment I moved it all in and I legit had nightmares about getting buried under boxes."

"I have ones about swimming in baby stuff. My dads kept everything but when they sold their house I had to empty everything out. Same story, storage locker, boxes, nightmares, the whole shebang."

"Yet another commonality of New York life I guess."

"I've missed you."

"Me too. Can I see you again?"

"As a friend. I swear I've been falling in and out of relationships since I was fifteen. Then there was my year of couch surfing. I just want a year to myself, by myself. Kurt and Blaine don't even know where my new apartment is yet. I don't want anyone in this space but me." Rachel fibbed but only a little.

"I get that. Yeah I've decided relationships while I'm doing this work probably won't work out unless I date within the industry. Still I did value our friendship and I'd love to see you."

"I'll try to carve out a time slot for you. I'm insanely busy but I love it. I do Funny Girl every day but Thursday. And have classes Monday, Wednesday and Friday. And I sing at The Wooden Fish Thursday evenings. As you might imagine rather than being my free day Thursday is my busiest day as I try to get all my errands done that day. I can send you my schedule though if you want to try and meet me some place."

"I heard about Funny Girl! Congrats by the way."

"Thank you. And yes before you ask I'll keep my ear to the ground for dancer positions. I already do for my friend Mike. He's at the Chicago School of Dance right now but since I'm already in the industry I try to keep an ear out for my friends."

"Always thinking of others. You make sure you're rock solid first Rach. And don't go giving away recommendations to people you know won't work themselves to the bone for it. Cassie always told us that. I know you and her never saw eye to eye but-"

"That's an understatement. After I got the part she was a big part of the reason I was thinking of dropping out of NYADA."

"Oh Rach."

"Luckily because of the show I got to shuffle my classes around. I have a different dance teacher now. One I can respect because she doesn't have booze on her breath. I won't say I didn't learn anything from Cassie though. Because of her Crazy July persona I have tried my absolute best to rein in the diva so I don't alienate my cast mates. I think I've done a pretty good job too. No one gives me dirty looks and I get invited out after shows. That's how I found The Wooden Fish."

"How about I meet you at this Wooden Fish after your…uh let me check my schedule…Tuesday show?"

"Sure. If Noah's in town by then I'll introduce you."

Noah and Brody got on like a house on fire. Noah wasn't in town a single night before he was crashing on Brody's couch and had three different dates lined up for the rest of the week. Rachel wasn't too sure about the not being proud or liking the work when Brody welcomed Noah as a roommate and explained to Rachel that now they could do parties which could make them more money. Noah of course thrived doing such work. Rachel wasn't sure anyone else knew the mohawked boy was even in the city. Santana would be the one he'd contact but knowing what she thought of Brody maybe Noah decided to just not tell her.

%^%^#$%^#$%^#%$^#$5^34

Rachel opened her dresser to pull out a pair of leggings and a long sleeved t-shirt. It was Thursday again. Laundry day. Errand Day. Singing Night. She'd just gotten dressed when she heard a tap on her window. Here's where the fib about no one being in her space but her came from.

$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#%$^#

She'd been moving her dresser into place or rather she'd been trying to do that. She'd have taken out the drawers to make it lighter if there was room enough in the apartment to do that. Instead she was forced to try to move the full dresser across the floor. She was braced with both hands on the dresser and both feet on the wall and making no progress when she heard the tap on the window. She turned to see a good looking man from the apartment across the alley waving at her and lost her grip falling to the floor.

Finally getting up to see him wincing in sympathy instead of laughing like she'd expected she'd opened the window to talk to him. She'd seen him before of course. Glances through the window mostly. She really needed to get some curtains up.

"Hello?"

"Hello. My name is Hunter. Looks like you're having some trouble there. Want some help?"

Her eyes couldn't help but travel over the broad shoulders, the huge biceps, and the defined chest Hunter possessed as she reflected he'd certainly have an easiest time of it than she would. "Sure. My name is Rachel. I was just about to ask my super for help anyway."

"Move back. I'll come over."

"Through the windows?!" Rachel was a little worried but backed away anyway. There wasn't a lot of room and she climbed up on her bed to give him enough room to stand up. Hunter easily crawled across the small space without any apparent fear of the four story drop beneath his feet.

"Now where do you want it?"

"Here." Rachel pointed and watched as Hunter easily moved the heavy dresser she hadn't been able to budge. "Thank you."

"No problem. Gave me a good excuse to introduce myself. I've seen you through the windows a few times." He offered her a hand to shake.

She felt awkward shaking his hand while sitting on her bed but when she stood up she discovered there was so little room that they awkwardly turned their hands sideways to finish the shake. The heat from his body could be felt and she felt herself blushing furiously. "I'm Rachel. Pleased to meet you. Thank you. Mark helped me move everything in but what a big man had an easy time with a small girl? Not so much."

"Anything else you want me to move while I'm here?" Hunter offered with a smile as he looked down into her big brown eyes.

Rachel blushed. 'Besides the Earth? No Rachel. Bad Rachel. You're staying single for the next year remember?' "Umm yeah if you could grab those two boxes. I had him put them on top so I could go through them first but completely didn't realize they'd be impossible for me to get once he was gone." Rachel pointed to the boxes in question and Hunter easily lifted them down for her. She bit her lip as she watched the play of muscles under his tight t shirt.

"Here you go my lady." He placed each box on her bed with a smile showing off straight white teeth. She wondered if he was a model like Jonathan, Thomas and Sam.

"Thank you."

"No problem. If you need anything else don't hesitate to tap on my window. If I'm home I'll be happy to help." Hunter gave her a big smile before leaving out the window again. Since then he'd been a frequent and her only visitor.

%$^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^56

She moved the lacy curtain out of the way and opened the window. Immediately Hunter's white fluffy cat hopped over and made herself at home in a sunbeam on Rachel's bed.

"Good morning Harriet. Come on in. I don't mind." Rachel smirked at the cat. She couldn't wait to get her own but at the moment she still didn't have a place to put a litter box.

Hunter laughed and Rachel looked over in time to see him slip a t shirt over his head and to give Rachel an eyeful of his chiseled torso. "You almost ready to go?"

"Yeah. I was just about to have a cup of tea first though." Rachel said as the kettle started to whistle. "Want some?" She asked as she stepped over a box going back into the kitchen. She made a cup of chai tea with chocolate almond milk. She was stirring it when she felt Hunter's chest press into her back as he snagged a cup for himself and started preparing it with his long arms on either side of her. She leaned back a bit enjoying the feel of his heat surrounding her and his firm chest at her back. When he was finished he placed one big hand on her belly to give her a little hug.

"Nine months to go." Hunter in toned with a chuckle.

"Thanks for going along with me on this."

"Hey if nothing else by the end of it you'll definitely know I think you're worth it."

"Until then though cuddles are definitely allowed."

"Thank God. We'd have a real problem if I couldn't touch you."

"It's not like I'm particularly good at keeping my hands to myself either you know."

"Oh I know. I love it."

Rachel giggled. It had taken Hunter until their second meeting to ask her out. However she'd made her commitment to a year of single life by then. Hunter had been disappointed but apparently he saw something in Rachel that was worth it. So he'd agreed to wait. She expected he'd continue to date but a week later at The Wooden Fish when he turned down a clearly interested girl he revealed he meant it. He was going to wait for her, provided he got unfettered access to her in every other way.

They were quiet as they leaned against each other and drunk their tea. Hunter stroked her stomach while Rachel traced the veins and knuckles of his big hands. Finally they put their cups in the sink and Rachel went to shoo Harriet back into Hunter's apartment so she could close the windows. Hunter grabbed Rachel's two boxes that were heading to the Good Will.

"Are you locked up?" She asked as she began the process of unlocking all nine locks.

"Yup."

"Let's go then." Rachel led the way down the hall to the stairs. Off to do their weekly errands together.

5^#$%^#$%^#$%^#%#454

Rachel goes with Mark to the local shelter when she finally decides to get her pets she wants to get them all at once so she'll know they'll get along.

Rachel cooed over the kittens but finally settled on two elderly cats. One was an elegant long haired black queen with green eyes that she named Cleopatra. The other was a grey tabby tom she named Marc Anthony. The two had shared a cage and were very affectionate.

Rachel's filling out the paperwork for them when a large black pit bull dragged the worker who was walking her over to Rachel's chair where she puts a heavy square head on Rachel's knee and looks up at her adoringly.

The worker helping Rachel fill out the paper work didn't even ask. She just grabbed another form and started filling it out for the dog too.

Mark later told her that big black dogs like her Gertrude had a harder time getting adopted. Technically she was over the weight limit but Mark waived it knowing Rachel and because his own dog was also over the limit. Mark's dog walker added Gertrude to his daily rotation without missing a beat.


	5. Chapter 5

Yes things were finally pretty stable and happy in Rachel's little world. Then there was Christmas. Rachel wasn't a fan of Christmas. Partly because she was Jewish but partly because she'd been left in a Christmas tree lot during Christmas. She'd lost the Midnight Madness on Christmas. Her dads were in Egypt and California and they intended to skype on a different sundown each night lighting the candles for Hanukah. She was going to go over to Noah's and eat one night while watching The Jewish Hammer but otherwise she was going to very firmly ignore all things Christmas.

Except of course she couldn't because Kurt's whole family was coming up for Christmas and so for the first time in months Rachel was being invited back to Bushwick's for dinner.

She tried finding a way out of it but Santana knew her work schedule and Blaine and Kurt knew her school schedule. She was at least going to have an excuse to leave early to go light candles at sundown but from eleven to four Kurt had her.

Honestly Rachel hadn't thought of Finn in months. Whole weeks went by in which she forgot he existed entirely. Her days were filled with school. Her nights were filled with performing and the few hours she had off were devoted to sleep, her pets, or Hunter. Small time slots got carved out every few weeks for friends but that was it. Her brain was constantly abuzz with other things and she loved every single second of her life. It all came grinding to a halt at Christmas though.

School was on break and Rachel was enjoying lounging about her and Hunter's apartments for most of the day as even she became adapt at crawling through their windows. They lounged around like their happy cats watching movies, playing video games and cuddling. Rachel happily ignored the 24th of December like it was some specter that would disappear if she just waited long enough.

Finally on the 24th Rachel slipped into black woolen tights and a blue cashmere dress coupled with a black cashmere scarf and a blue beret and coupled with knee high boots. Into each of which she slipped the slim night sticks that had been a gift from Mark. She got an extra-long, firm hug from Hunter who told her told call him when she was close and that he'd have the cocoa ready for her. She stopped in the lobby for another extra-long, firm hug from Mark and stopped again at The Wooden Fish for yet another big hug from Russ. Armed with as much warmth and affection as she could absorb from the three muscular men and an admonishment to call them for a rescue if need be Rachel finally caught the subway train to Bushwick.

#$%^#$%^#$%^$^#$%^#$^$%^$%^#$%

"So when will Rachel be here?" Finn asked.

Santana rolled her eyes but only Thomas saw her.

Kurt, looking domestic in a light blue apron, sighed. "She said she'd be here at around eleven Finn. She's staying till four then she has to hurry home to light the candles with her dads."

"Light the candles? Oh yeah that Jewish thing they do. I never understood that. Why light candles when you can have a Christmas tree?" Finn scoffed. He'd been invited to Rachel's house during Christmas once but he found the weird sundown lighting of candles with chanting some prayer kind of creepy and then they just sat around eating fried foods and watching musicals. It was the weirdest night of Christmas he'd ever spent.

Sam eyed Finn warily. He hoped the tall man wasn't going to bother Rachel or try to make a move on her. He was all for after dinner entertainment but seriously Rachel had been pretty chill for a while now. The last thing she needed was Finn messing with her emotions again.

When Rachel finally let herself in the apartment having never turned in her keys nor had they changed the locks. It was actually Burt who got to her first. "There's the future mother of my grandchildren!" The big man declared with a laugh before enclosing her in a bear hug that lifted her thin form off the ground.

There was an awkward moment of silence before Blaine shouted out, "Rachel and I are going to have beautiful doe eyed babies but personally I think Quinn should have Kurt's. Preserve that lovely blonde hair of theirs."

"I do make pretty babies." Quinn noted before pulling Rachel into her own hug. "Hey Future Surrogate." Quinn gave her a firm squeeze.

"Hi Future Surrogate. How've you been?" Rachel was delighted to see Quinn. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

"Good. Glad to be on break. In between classes I'm networking and it's all just exhausting."

"Have you decided which branch of law you're going into yet?" Rachel asked as she removed her hat and scarf and hung them up with her coat next to the door. She linked arms with the blonde and made her way into the kitchen swinging a small bag of fried goods in the other hand.

"Hey my Hot Little Jewish-American Princess." Puck hopped up from the table and wrapped an arm around Rachel's waist dragging both women close to him before tilting Rachel's chin up and laying a smacking kiss on her lips. "Hey Baby-Momma." He grabbed another smacking kiss on the lips from Quinn without hesitation. "Those latkes for me?"

"Us. But yes. You can have one Noah. One. I don't want you ruining your appetite before this delicious looking meal Blaine and Kurt have prepared." She handed him the bag and snuck one out for herself. She was only a little surprised when Quinn grabbed one for her too.

"These were the only good thing about staying at Puck's. No bacon but all the fried food I could eat. Every holiday was full of food. It rocked."

Rachel affected a nasally tone ala Fran Fine, "This is the holiday where we light the candles…and then stuff ourselves."

The three of them laughed. Finn was laughing uncomfortably too as he walked near but before he could reach Rachel Thomas and Jonathan rushed in and stole her away.

"We haven't had Rachel cuddles in months!" Jonathan declared.

"So we intend to make up for them today." Thomas said as he plopped down on a kitchen chair with Rachel in his lap and squeezed her like a teddy bear. Jonathan sat next to them and once Thomas had let her go pulled her into his lap for his own squeeze.

Rachel laughed happily and snuggled both fit men with a smile. To think she'd been dreading this.

"What about me? Don't I get Rachel cuddles?" Sam came forward from the back with open arms and Rachel was reluctantly given up by Jonathan and Thomas. Luckily Sam was too tall for Rachel to see the poisonous glare Mercedes was giving her.

Mike seeing a reason to leave the tense awkwardness that had formed around him, Tina and Artie quickly headed that way as well. "Rachel cuddles? Count me in." Stealing her from Sam while strategically slipping her back between Thomas and Quinn. Everyone was starting to take their seats and Rachel and Quinn were sandwiched between the muscular male models on one side and Puck and Sam on the other. Anyone who thought that was by accident obviously didn't have any faith in Kurt's host abilities.

Santana was sitting across the table holding hands with Brittney. "Hey Bitch." She greeted Rachel.

"Hey Dike." Rachel returned as she shook out her artfully folded napkin and placed it in her lap. "I heard about an Off-Broadway play that's looking for a Latina lead. Interested?"

"You're not?" Santana looked skeptical.

"I'm going to audition of course but I'm happy where I'm at." Rachel smiled at Blaine as he poured her a glass of wine.

"Then sure." Santana shrugged.

"Consider this my Hanukah present to you then." Rachel smirked at the other girl. None but those who knew them well could detect a note of genuine affection underneath their sardonic tones.

Finn stood there staring at Rachel's back for several seconds before being prompted to take his seat by his mother. He was at the opposite end of the table from Rachel and could barely see her around Puck's bulky shoulders. Vice versa as well Rachel happily noted and gave Kurt a big smile as he sat at the head of the table once the food was all placed.

"Let's eat!" Kurt declared. He politely ignored some of his guests bowed heads as they silently blessed their meals.

#$% #$% #$%# $% #$% #$% #$%3

"Dinner was delicious. Seriously Blaine. You'd never hear this from me but you should drop out of NYADA and go to cooking school." Rachel remarked lazily from the couch. She was sandwiched between Thomas and Jonathan as both men made good on their threat to get all the Rachel cuddles they could in. Honest to God girl cuddles with no sexual or emotional expectation wasn't as easy to come by as you'd expect for the two gorgeous men. Her sentiment was seconded by the sleepy guys on either side of her.

Blaine thanked her with a smile. "Don't think I haven't considered it. I've been thinking of getting a job in a restaurant somewhere. Just to see if I'd really like that kind of life."

Finn silently seethed across the room. At first he'd been pretty okay with Thomas and Jonathan putting their hands all over Rachel because he thought they were gay. After both had hit on Quinn though he'd learned it was quite the opposite and that was so not okay with him. Quinn was even sandwiched in over there with Jonathan and Puck as the two women talked about college and job opportunities and the men talked about modeling and fashion. Why Puck wanted to know about those things was thoroughly confusing to the education major. Sam sat in the floor against their legs joining in the men's conversation. Santana and Brittney were curled warmly against Puck's back in the corner of the sectional but seemed to be mostly wrapped up in each other. Mike had tried to talk to Brittney about dancing but a gimlet-eyed Santana had scared him into backing away. Instead he'd moved to sit next to Sam and talk to Rachel and Quinn instead of rejoining Artie and Tina's awkward reunion in the corner. Burt and Carole were in the kitchen having insisted on cleaning up since Kurt and Blaine cooked but the two men were in there with them regardless chatting up a storm. Mercedes sat in the chair next to Finn glaring at Sam where his head rested against Rachel's covered knee.

"You kids okay?" Burt asked as he walked back into the room drying his hands. "I think this is the first time I've ever been around you that you didn't break into song."

"Why don't you sing us something from Broadway Rachel? We won't get to see your show until next week right?" Carole suggested with a smile.

"Okay…hmmm" Rachel rose to her feet. She didn't want to sing anything from her show but maybe…

"If you've seen a show

Then you already know

How magical theater can be"

Mike and Sam grinned and hopped up from their place by her knees. Around the room nearly everyone started smiling and finding their places.

"It's a two-hour, live-action, barely affordable, un-lip-synced version of 'High School Musical'"

Burt and Carole stood in the doorway to the kitchen smiling at the beginning of the performance having no idea they were about to be a part of it.

"So, this song goes out to the rest of you

Those who've never seen theater before.

Because Broadway has never been broader-"

Everyone jumped into line with Rachel, as much as was possible anyway. Kurt and Quinn were on her right while Blaine and Puck were on her left. The rest were behind her looking ready and excited.

"It's not just for gays anymore!"

The front line joined arms in a chorus line.

"If you feel like someone that this world excludes

It's no Longer only for dudes who like dudes" Rachel rocked her head to either side to indicate Kurt and Blaine before they broke and let Quinn and Puck step forward to take her hands as she turned to each of them.

"Attention every breeder

You're invited to the theater

It's not just for gays anymore!"

With a flirty kick the gleeks joined by a laughing Thomas and Jonathan started circling around the apartment while Rachel led the line to pull Burt and Carole in the middle of the floor.

"The glamor of Broadway is beckoning straights

The people who marry in all 50 states" She clapped a hand on each of the married couple's shoulder and she lead the line between them.

"We're asking every hetero

to get to know us better-o

It's not just for gays anymore!"

Burt and Carole stepped back as everyone lined up on either side of Rachel again.

"It's for fine, upstanding Christians

who know all the song from Grease" Quinn and Sam stood on either side of her doing the Grease Lightning dance with their hand on their hip while pointing around the room.

"It's for sober-minded businessman

Who yearn for some release" Thomas and Jonathan replaced Sam and Quinn pretending to adjust their ties before mimicking her hip thrusts.

"So, put down your Playboy and go make a plan

To pick up a Playbill and feel like a man

There's so much to discover

With your different-gendered lover" Again Rachel led a conga line around the apartment before ending up in the front with Sam, Thomas, Jonathan and Puck behind her who picked her up to lay horizontal on their uplifted hands.

"It's not just for gays

The gays and the Jews

And cousins in from out of town you have to amuse

And the sad, embittered malcontents who write the reviews

And also foreign tourists

And the geeks of senior citizens

And well-to-do suburbanites

And liberal intellectuals

Though that group is really only Jews and homosexuals

I've lost my train of thought

Oh yes, It's not just for gays anymore!"

Rachel was put down and continued singing, "We've got swarms of Mormons,"

Sam and Quinn danced through,

"Showgirls," followed by Santana and Brittany kicking up their long legs

"Sailors," Thomas and Jonathan mugging with lifted arms to show off their biceps.

"Dancing boys" Mike and Blaine stepped through with some complicated dance step

"and nuns." Mercedes and Tina came through with folded hands.

"Plus a Spider facing, death-defying, budget over-runs"

Kurt managed to stop Puck before he could attempt to swing from the rafters.

"So, people from Red states, and people from Blue" Rachel and the other arrayed behind her threw out their right and then left hands while dancing around in a circle before coming back together to form and chorus line.

"A big Broadway rainbow is waiting for you

Come in and be inspired

There's no sodomy required."

Kurt and Blaine slid forward with big smiles trying their best not to fall over laughing.

"Oh it's not just for gays

It's not just for gays" Rachel stepped backwards as everyone arrayed forward. Santana, Brittany, Quinn and Blaine stepped forward with jazz hands to sway their hips on the next line.

"We'd be twice as proud to have you if you go both ways."

Together lifting their voices to join her. Even Mercedes almost resentfully coming in on the last line again to wail. "Broad-way. Is. Not just. For gaaaaaaaayys. AN-Y-MOOOOOOORRRRRRREEEEEEE!"

The end of the song was punctuated by the door swinging open and bringing in a gust of frigid air. A tall man in a black coat stood in the doorway with a black beanie and a scarf wrapped around his face. He slammed the door behind him before pulling the scarf down and the sunglasses that had been protecting his eyes off. He was an extremely handsome man made even more devastating when he smiled. "I'm glad I caught you before you left. Why haven't you been answering your phone?"

There was an awkward few seconds when no one answered because only one person knew who this man was. Rachel stepped forward avoiding the snow dripping off of him with some difficulty. "Oh Baby you're a Jäger-sicle." She put her warm hands on his chilly cheeks.

"Yu Iz verra waurm." The man replied in an exaggerated German accent. He opened his coat and pulled Rachel closer to his body snuggling her close.

Blaine and Sam glanced at each other suspiciously.

"I put my phone on silent while I was here. What's wrong?"

"Big storm we've got four inches already and they're saying we might have as much as four feet before it's over. We didn't want you walking home by yourself in this so I volunteered to come get you." More like won the game of rock, paper, scissors he'd played with Mark and Russ to be the one to rescue her. He failed to notice the speculative looks being thrown his way by Blaine, Sam and now Tina.

Rachel retrieved her coat and started pulling it on while the man untangled her hat and scarf from the coat rack. "You guys should head out too. We can all hold hands on the way to the subway." Rachel suggested.

"Hey I know you. You're that guy that drugged his choir so you could beat us!" Finn accused. A light came on for several people in the room who'd heard the story. Rachel looked unsurprised.

Hunter rolled his eyes. "I and the Warblers were acquitted of all charges. No drugs were found because there were no drugs."

"But Wes said…" Blaine started.

"Wes got a bee sting during practice out on the lawn one day and I had to jerk his pants down to give him his Epi-pen. That's the only shot I ever gave him. He hallucinated the whole thing. Did you talk to any of your other friends about it before you ran off and crushed their dreams of Regionals? Or did you think they were all too scared of me?" Hunter mocked him a bit. Hunter was intimidating but none of the Warblers had seemed afraid of him.

Blaine and Sam who'd been about to jump to their defense stuttered to a stop. "But…you were disqualified."

"Yeah we were and whose fault is that?" Hunter pulled a pair of goggles out of his pocket to give to Rachel before she slipped on her hat. "Do me a favor? Why don't you call up some of your old buddies? David, or John, or even Sebastian and ask them how they felt about the whole thing. If they'll talk to you about it. Last I heard they were still pretty pissed."

"Bye guys. This was a lot more enjoyable than I thought it was gonna be. Keep in touch." Rachel waved to them before letting herself be tucked under Hunter's arm and walking out quickly. Her plan of everyone traveling together abandoned in the face of last year's New Directions' hostility and shock.


	6. Chapter 6

"Wait I'm lost. What happened?" Burt asked after the flurry of people had donned hats and coats and followed Rachel and her rescuer out.

Quinn had left with Puck and Mike rather than stay with Brittney and Santana or rather Finn who had stared at her in awe when she'd come in earlier. Blaine was spending Christmas with Kurt but Jonathan, Thomas and Sam had gone on home. Tina and Artie were being escorted back to Artie's dorm by the models so that they could catch a plane tomorrow if the storm hadn't left them grounded.

"Last year at Sectionals we lost to the Warblers. Their Captain was that guy who was with Rachel." Finn groused over his cocoa.

"His name is Hunter Clarington. He was brought in as a ringer by Dalton on a scholarship. He stole our Nationals trophy and tried to convince me to rejoin the Warblers in exchange for its safe return. Sam and I stole it back as Nightbird and the Blonde Chameleon."

"Even without Blaine the Warblers kicked ass at Sectionals. They had tight choreography, acrobatics, performed completely acapella. Hunter and Sebastian are great singers." Finn told them.

"Helps that they're gorgeous too. I mean Whistle by Flo Rida isn't really appropriate at all for them to have sung but with Hunter on lead I'm fairly sure there wasn't a dry panty in the house." Brittney commented ignoring the shocked looks of most of the room.

"So they won but you guys went on to Regionals because this Hunter gave the Warblers….?" Carole asked.

"Steroids. Or so Wes told Sam and me. He told us about how Hunter had them all take off their pants and line up so he could give them a shot to make them better…" Blaine trailed off remembering just how descriptive Wes had been about the whole thing. Everyone in white underwear and loose white shirts. Even about how Hunter had looked taking hits from the syringe directly into his mouth. He began to look a little disturbed remembering it.

"That doesn't make any sense. Steroids can do some fucked up things to your vocal chords. That'd be like the worst possible thing to give to a bunch of singers." Burt commented.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked.

"Well it might not do stuff to your vocal chords," he nodded at Kurt, "but a buddy of mine was abusing for a bit and the Coach found out about it. We got this long lecture about them while he showed us this horrible video of all the different things it could do to fuck you up. Your balls shrinking, your voice changes, other really nasty shit. You might get jacked but it's not worth it."

Blaine's phone pinged. He'd texted John unable to wait until after Christmas for an answer.

Blaine: Hey John. Merry Christmas. I have a question for you. Do you mind?

Sup Blaine. Merry Christmas. Sure what's up? :John

Blaine: I ran into Hunter today. That whole steroid business…did…did I….Wes just told me but now I'm thinking I was wrong after talking to Hunter. What happened?

Blaine's phone rang. It was John.

"Yo. I started typing and it's just way too much to explain like that. You ready to hear the truth?"

Blaine was a little off put by John's slightly hostile tone. "Yeah. I want the truth."

"Hunter was teaching us how to do these flips for one of our numbers out on the lawn. We were all barefoot. Wes got stung by a bee. We knew it was a risk so Hunter had everyone bring their Epi-pens and shit to keep nearby. Hunter grabbed his Epi-pen and jammed it in his asscheek before he like, died or whatever but we still ended up calling an ambulance and taking him to the hospital. He was on this other medicine for acne. I don't know what it was called but he was in the hospital for a few days cause of it. Ben was his roomy and told us the medicine he was on had these like psycho effects that Ben was supposed to watch for, like just in case. Anyway he comes back pretty okay. Hunter puts him in the back for the numbers but doesn't push him to learn the flips after that cause he's recovering. Hunter was a hard ass and he had a crazy temper but otherwise he was a pretty good captain. Anyway we're practicing for Regionals when the Dean comes in with the counselors and asks to talk to each of us privately. They asked about steroids and had Hunter given us any drugs. Stuff like that. It was a whole load of bullshit. Then they told us about being disqualified. Hunter was pissed. I mean put his motherfucking fist through a wall pissed. So were a lot of us actually. Then came the drug tests. All of us come back clean…except Wes. He'd kept taking those acne meds when he wasn't supposed to anymore. He had to go back to the hospital again only this time…in like the psy ward ya know? Cause he'd been having these crazy dreams about Hunter, which I mean I get it dude's hot, but he was having trouble telling dreams from reality. Anyway by the time it all gets sorted out Regionals passed and we missed our chance. It sucked. A lot."

"I told the board." Blaine said dully. "Wes told me about steroids and I told the board."

"I know."

"I can't believe you're still talking to me."

"I gotta admit I was pissed about it for a long time. Felt like you threw us under the bus for your new friends. When I saw your text I thought about calling just to give you a piece of my mind." John still sounded a little miffed about it.

"I deserve it." Blaine looked down and rubbed his head ignoring the way everyone was looking at him.

"Yeah ya kind of do. You should have called me back then. Or David. Or literally any other Warbler to confirmed Wes' story. I mean even if Hunter had tried to give us drugs do you really think we'd have just gone along with that? Literally just bent over for him."

"No. Yes. At that time…I mean he stole our trophy and tried to manipulate me into rejoining you guys. It didn't seem too farfetched." Blaine tried to defend himself but it sounded weak. He knew it sounded weak. Some distance and reflection made the whole thing look different.

"You thought a harmless prank and an invitation to rejoin was, what a gateway drug to steroid use?" John was incredulous.

"I'm sorry."

"Well that's me down. Now call up everyone else and tell them that. Merry Christmas Blaine. I hope your loss at Nationals was worth it."

Blaine looked down at the dropped call sadly before looking up and giving the room a chest fallen look. "Wes was on some kind of narcotic that reacted badly with his epi-pen. He's been in and out of the hospital. The psy ward. He imagined the whole thing. I ruined all those guy's chances. I…" Blaine stood up suddenly and walked to the backroom in tears.

Kurt put his cocoa down and followed him.

#$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^#$&%^&*$%^ $%&$%^*%^%$#^$ %&%

Rachel and Hunter dunked into the Wooden Fish to warm up. Russ pulled Rachel into a tight hug.

"How was it?"

"Pretty okay. It's like I was dreading seeing like two people so much I completely forgot to look forward to seeing like a dozen other people. I never even spoke to those two. Kurt had place cards and tucked Quinn and me away where Finn couldn't see us and I mostly just talked to Quinn the whole night while Jonathan and Thomas cuddled me between them."

"And I finally got tell off Blaine Warbler. Merry Fucking Christmas." Hunter grinned in a self-satisfied manner.

"It wasn't much of a telling off."

"Oh just one wouldn't be enough but I've started the ball rolling. He'll call up the others now. I hope he calls David. David was just as pissed as I was. Sebastian would be the best though."

Hunter had come clean about being the Captain of the Warblers about a month into their friendship. Rachel had been surprisingly understanding however she admitted she'd have thrown them under the bus as well. She was mercenary like that. All's fair in love and show choir. Granted she'd have also probably used her spy skills to find out the whole story. Maybe. Hunter was the only boy she'd ever met who'd been attracted to her mercenary ways. He thought it was hot as hell.


	7. Chapter 7

"It is hot as hell." Mercedes complained. She fanned herself weakly with a magazine. The A/C was out in the whole building which particularly sucked as not only were Mercedes, Santana and Kurt sweltering in the heat but several visiting Gleeks were melting over various surfaces. Sam, Blaine, and Artie were there in comradery but it was rough.

Finn was visiting having got a summer job helping at poor inner city schools that helped waver some of his student loans. Brittney was working at a think tank as a summer thing as well.

Rolling brown outs were being put into effect throughout the city but everyone was being asked to turn off their A/C at least to keep them to a minimum. And despite numerous protests the apartment manager had complied.

Finally Blaine had had it. "That's it I can't take it anymore!" He stood up and started for the door.

"Where are you going?" Kurt asked irritated. If he was going to suffer through this heat then by the god he didn't believe in Blaine was too.

"I'm going Rachel Hunting. At least there'll be the chance of a breeze if I'm moving." Blaine jerked open the door but the hallway felt just as oppressively hot as inside the apartment.

"Rachel Hunting?" Finn perked up. The room collectively rolled their eyes.

"Yeah. It's been a year and we still have no idea where she lives." Blaine looked a little manic.

Kurt cringed and Santana and Mercedes shared a look.

"What? That's crazy." Finn stood up to join Blaine at the door retrieving his sneakers and mourning the fact that he didn't bring flip flops.

Sam lazily hauled himself to his feet to join them. He was probably going to head home after this though. He was seriously thinking of ways to make his off again on again relationship with Mercedes switch to off for the duration of the heatwave. Sure his apartment didn't have A/C either but it was high up and had fans going in every window.

Thomas was a secret computer aficionado and had brought all the fans and set them up while daring the others to touch them while he rearranged furniture and went on about ATX and airflow. As a direct result their apartment was only pleasantly heated instead of sweltering.

Artie declined moving at all from his parked position in front of the fan and Mercedes pointedly ignored them in favor of getting up to get some more ice cream from their sorely depleted freezer.

"So how do you hunt for her in a city of millions?" Finn asked as they headed down the street towards the subway.

"Well we know Rachel's somewhere in Manhattan." Kurt said having decided reluctantly to go with them. He was hoping they'd stop at a restaurant somewhere that had A/C.

"Right and Manhattan is expensive so there's only a few parts of it she could afford to live in." Blaine told him.

"Unfortunately that means walking around the apartment complexes around the docks in an area known as Hell's Kitchen." Kurt continued.

Finn looked like he was trying to remember something.

"That's the area of New York that Daredevil protects." Sam explained seeing Finn had probably heard of the hero.

"Ah okay." Finn's look of confusion cleared up.

"Supposedly." Kurt muttered. Spiderman and Daredevil and the rest seemed like something out of a comic book to him. He'd never seen any evidence they actually existed outside of newspaper pictures that almost looked photo shopped they were so clean.

"I wonder if Rachel's ever seen him." Finn said.

"She's never mentioned it and Rachel makes a point to never go anywhere alone at night."

"What about after her shows?" Finn asked.

"Some of her cast mates live in Hell's Kitchen too. She walks home with them. On the nights she sings at the bar the bouncer walks her home." Blaine explained. The train was coming up on their stop. The underground train had a subtle coolness that was a welcome relief to the outside's oppressive heat.

"Why don't you just follow her home one day after school?" Finn asked.

"Like a little lamb?" Sam chuckled.

"I've tried believe me I've tried but if I follow too closely Rachel sees me and disappears like a fucking ninja and if I'm too far the crowds just swallow her up."

"After her show?"

"Oh god that's even worst. I have to stay further back cause her cast mates might notice me too and she's usually right in the middle of the pack so I can't see her and before I know it she's entered a random building and I've been following a group without her in it. That's not counting the nights she goes home with someone else for dinner." Blaine rolled his eyes.

"After the bar show?" Finn asked. He was beginning to get the gist of Rachel Hunting.

"Walks home with a guy that makes Karofsky look small who takes her through back alleys that quite frankly I just don't feel safe walking through at 3 am in the morning." Blaine's hunts had started getting lonely after a while as the others gave up and he just really didn't feel like getting robbed or raped or murdered was worth it just to win this game they were playing.

"Ask her cast mates?"

Here Blaine smiled. "That would be too easy. Rachel Hunting is a game. At this point I could probably just ask her and she'd tell me but I like Rachel Hunting. It's good exercise. I get to see parts of the city I'm not familiar with cause sometimes she'll leave school and go run errands to weird places. I get to pretend I'm a detective and it's some big mystery I've got to solve."

"He even bought a Dick Tracy hat." Kurt commented dryly.

"Like a big yellow fedora?" Finn asked.

"It's a fedora but I went with a dark brown one." Blaine kind of wished he had it now to shield his eyes.

"It looks awful. I still think you should have gotten a trilby instead." Kurt mentioned with a roll of his eyes.

"Okay so what's the plan to day?" Finn asked. The last thing he wanted was to start a discussion about fashion.

"We walk around Hell's Kitchen until it starts getting dark and ask people if they've seen Rachel or try to see if her name's listed on any of the buildings." Blaine explained.

"Okay."

"It's a great opportunity to people watch too."

"Yeah guys I'm gonna bail. I really just used this as an excuse to head back to my place. Tell Mercedes or don't tell Mercedes it's too hot for me to care right now." Sam said tiredly. He waved at them lazily before striking out towards his own apartment.

"Trouble in paradise?" Finn asked as he watched him go.

"I wouldn't call it paradise. It's a give and take relationship where the give is all on Sam's side if you ask me." Blaine groused.

"Mercedes is a wonderful woman." Kurt defended his friend fiercely.

"She is but you got to admit she doesn't give Sam a whole lot of reason for sticking around." Blaine argued back.

"If you're talking about sex-"

"I'm not. I'm not saying Sam isn't frustrated but that's not what I'm talking about. Sam stopped off and brought Mercedes ice cream today and spend the day waiting on her in that oven you call an apartment even though our apartment is much cooler but you guys won't come over cause you refuse to apologize to Jonathan and Thomas."

"We have no need to apologize! They're the ones at fault."

"How is inviting Sam and me to Vermont last month their fault? Why is it anyone's fault?"

"They didn't invite Mercedes and me."

"Why should they? They're not your friends. They're your acquaintances at most. You guys made a huge deal out of nothing!" Blaine's voice was starting to rise but the New Yorkers passing on either side of them didn't even glance at them.

Finn however awkwardly walked a bit behind them trying not to listen but it was difficult.

"It wasn't nothing. I drop by your place after a bad day to find no one there. I call you up and you're in Vermont! You just left and didn't tell me."

"I told you but you were too busy making moon eyes at Adam's apple to listen to me!"

"Hey I'm not the cheater here!"

"Oh it always comes back to that doesn't it! Once! I was weak once when you were five hundred miles away and don't tell me you weren't flirting with other guys. I know you were!"

"But I never met up with anyone from Craigslist to fuck."

"You're never gonna let that go are you?!"

"Never! Why should I?! You cheated on me! Do you have any idea how much that hurt!"

"Of course I do. Why do you think I did it in the first place? Knowing you were up here flaunting yourself and even though I'm here you keep right on doing it. In front of me! Flexing and showing off in class while I descent into blobdom!" Blaine started crying then and ran off disappearing quicker than Finn would have thought possible into the crowded streets.

Kurt continued walking with an angry expression on his face for a few more steps before stopping and clinching his fists. Only his step-brother keeping the crowd from shunting him to the side.

Then Kurt crumbled and turned into Finn's chest crying as well.

Finn hesitantly brought his arms up around the still shorter man and awkwardly patted his back. With a little effort he moved them against the wall of a building and desperately wished they'd found Rachel before now because he had literally no idea where he was and Kurt was in no condition to tell him and the uncaring New Yorkers passed in front of them without a glance their way and Finn hated this city.


	8. Chapter 8

Rachel loved this city. She was out at the fair with Mark's three children baby-sitting for the day while their parents went on a date. Tito and Gertrude were on their leashes. Rachel held Gertrude while Ed, Mark's oldest at twelve held Tito.

Ed had groused plenty at first about needing a baby sitter but one look at Rachel's super short shorts and crop top had him suddenly enthusiastic for the day out with his younger siblings, Jane and Cynthia, who were ten and eight respectively. They'd teased him relentlessly about his crush on Rachel since the day began but otherwise they'd all had a pretty good time.

Ed had won Rachel a small purple bunny from a pop gun stand and Rachel had kissed his cheek and told him he was a little heart breaker and honestly at his age that was pretty good stuff.

People had approached Rachel twice for autographs and pictures which she'd been than happy to compile with while giving a smile so bright it was difficult to tell if it was a show smile or a genuine one. She was being recognized on the street! Check one off the bucket list.

She returned the kids to their parents who looked very happy indeed after some alone time. She gave Jane and Cynthia a hug and Ed another cheek kiss before skipping up the stairs for a cold shower and some water and lemon before her show.

Gertrude immediately headed for her water and food dish for some refreshment. Marc and Cleo circled Rachel's ankles and she didn't resist leaning down and giving their ears a scratch. Harriet joined them soon afterwards and Rachel glanced up to see Hunter.

Silky ball shorts hung low on his hips and it was extremely obvious he wore nothing underneath them as he looked at her like she was a salted caramel ice cream cone. A rapidly melting one that he just had to lick.

"How was your workout?" She slowly stood and walked closer to him while kicking off her sandals. Her hands reached up to trace his abs and cup his hard pectorals.

"Not nearly as good as my next workout will be." His voice was rough with lust as he framed her hips with his big hands.

"What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking something tantric."

"Mmmm…"

Rachel's phone rang out singing a West Side Story song that meant Blaine. Rachel ignored it at first as Hunter pulled her back on her bed as he tangled his hand in her hair. When it went silent and then started ringing again though Rachel sighed into Hunter's mouth and sat up with a pout.

He framed her hips with his hands and ground her down on his prominent erection causing her breath to catch as she answered the phone.

"Hi Blaine what's up?" Her voice was cheery masking the fact that Hunter had sat up and was untying her thin halter top as he laid open mouth kisses down her throat. He stopped at Rachel's next words though.

"Whoa take a deep breath. I can't understand you when you're crying."

Hunter paused waiting for more information.

"You had a fight with Kurt?"

Hunter rolled his eyes. He fell back against the bed and took a deep breath as he ran through old lacrosse plays in his head in an effort to calm down. It might not have been an emergency but he knew happy fun time with Rachel was off the table when one of her friends was having a crisis. Once he had enough control that he could walk without pain he sat up and gave Rachel a hug before regretfully retying her top. He lifted her off of him and went to retrieve a couple of water bottles from the fridge.

"Yeah Blainey it's fine. My name on the front is Gertrude Anthony. They're my pet's names. Yeah I'm on the 4th floor. Apartment 412. Ok. I'll see you soon."

Hunter handed her a water bottle. "Guess I should make myself scarce?"

"Probably for the best." She pouted. "To be continued?"

"Definitely." Hunter angled his mouth over hers and kissed her deeply and thoroughly. "See ya later." Hunter smirked at the dazed look on her face before climbing back through the window. He closed the curtains on his side but for a thin opening to allow his cat to return.

Rachel took a deep breath and sighed before standing up. Blaine didn't say how far away he was but Rachel thought she might have time for a very quick shower if she didn't wash her hair.

When she got out she heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" She dropped her towel and quickly grabbed a tank top from her dresser drawer.

"It's your Tony."

"Just a minute let me get dressed." Rachel grabbed a pair of booty shorts without panties and slid them up her long legs. Then she opened the door. "Hey Blainey." She gave the man a hug. "Come on in. Have a seat. You want some water?"

"Hey Rach. Yes please. Thank you." Blaine looked around Rachel's apartment taking it in with wide eyes. The place was a closet. All the appliances were miniature which strangely fit the petite Rachel. The narrow kitchen led into a tiny bathroom. Then there was the main room and that was it. Rachel's bed took up most of the floor space. She had a dresser pushed against the wall with a few plants on top. Her ipod dock with speakers sat there as well. A fold down from the wall table held her laptop. There was a huge black pit bull with a yellow ribbon tied to her collar stretched out under the bed and two cats on the window sill. Some cardboard boxes still set in the corner from her move which he understood had been a gradual thing of her letting go of childhood items.

He walked in and sat down on the bed for lack of anywhere better. Rather than the frilly comforter of the past Rachel's bed had only sheets on it at the moment. Under the pillows near the head of the bed was a thin blanket. There were rather a lot of pillows on the bed to give the illusion of a couch he guessed.

So this was Rachel's apartment? There were various things taped and pinned the walls. Playbills and framed posters. There was a sun catcher in one window of a yellow star that made him smile. It was tiny and clean and strangely perfect for Rachel.

"Okay. Here's your water. Now tell me everything. I feel like I've barely talked to you since summer started."

Blaine took a deep breath. "Well…" He looked around the room again. "Well…It's like…" He took a deep breath. "You can't tell Kurt anything I'm about to tell you."

Rachel gasped. "You cheated again!"

"NO!" Blaine sighed. "Sorry. No. But I know it's going to sound bad and I just want to make sure the story is straight okay?"

"Okay. Just pretend I'm an audience member watching a soliloquy gotcha."

Blaine smiled and took a sip of water. "You know I got up here and the food blew my mind. I gained a little weight." He gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "I say a little weight cause at the time it seemed like a lot but really my clothes were so tight anything was going to make a difference. Ironically I weigh more now but am in better shape." He shook his head. "I'm getting off topic."

"This…history has nothing to do with the fight today but I've been needing to talk about it with someone anyone and it's so hard to find anyone from the old crowd who won't judge you know."

"And you chose me?"

"Well…I mean besides practically being my twin you've blossomed here Rachel. You moved out on your own. Well were forced out on your own but you've just. You were this tiny talented caterpillar in a single tree who was wrapped up in a cocoon by all the other caterpillars then you burst forth a butterfly and took the world by storm."

Rachel smiled. "I like this simile much better than the whole little fish big pond one."

Blaine smiled back. "Anyway you're much more open and free than the rest of the gleeks. I feel like I can trust you to understand. Especially after you embraced your bullies. I mean Puck and Quinn were horrible to you from what I understand and now they're like your closest friends."

Rachel nodded but frowned studying him. "Thank you. I feel like you're deflecting. I can't believe I'm saying this but let's get back to you."

Blaine looked away to the snoozing cats. "I joined a gym. A boxing gym here in the city. I learned to box at Dalton after I transferred. Figured I could get fighting fit again. Then the whole fight with Kurt and the porn happened and I went to the gym that night, which I hadn't told Kurt I had joined, and just wailed on the heavy bag while trying not to cry. It's swinging wildly and I was probably about to hurt myself when the bag stopped moving. I looked up and well you'll never guess who I saw."

"Ummm…."

"Karofsky. David Karofsky."

"Wow. What's he doing here? Umm.."

"He's a student in broadcasting at NYU. By complete coincidence he goes to the same gym. He didn't comment on my crying or anything just offered to hold the bag for me. I got my feelings out then we sat down and just talked for a little while. He's up here on a wrestling scholarship and is kind of having the opposite issue as me. He has to eat a lot of calories during the season but turning that eating off after the season isn't so easy so he'd joined the gym but he loves food just as much as I do. We got to talking about our favorite restaurants. We showered off and walked out to a nearby place to eat and…that was kind of our thing for a while. Meet up at the gym, work out, shower, eat."

Blaine sighed. "Then Kurt and I had another fight. He'd been flirting with a bunch of guys at school. He throws up my cheating again. I get it. I messed up. When can I stopped being punished for that?" He closed his eyes and licked his lips while shaking his head. "It was a mistake. A moment of weakness. I'm sorry and it'll never happen again. Can we please move on?"

"It really hurt Kurt."

"I know. I know it did but I'm sorry. I really am." Blaine looked away. "I'm so sorry because sometimes I wonder if there is any way for us to move on. Can we make it as a couple? Ever? With my mistake hanging over our heads?"

"I don't know."

"I can never do anything else wrong. Ever. Or it gets thrown up in my face. And calling Kurt on his bullshit? Which he so desperately needs sometimes. Impossible. Because I'm the one wearing the red letter. How dare I say anything to anybody when my crimes are so great."

Rachel reached and took Blaine's hand. "I know how you feel. I cheated too. Of course mine was on purpose in a twisted and stupid and juvenile plot to…nevermind. Maybe cause mine was in a reaction to Finn's…." Rachel frowned thinking back. "Wow our relationship was messed up. Anyway I know how you feel. After that even looking at Noah would cause a stink. Even when I was just one concerned Jew to another Finn would kick up a fuss. And if Jesse was around? And Brody? And even Sam? Or you for a little while there. Finn would throw it up at me. But try to call him on his? Oh well that didn't count. Oh no Finn Hudson can do no wrong." Rachel rolled her eyes. "Sorry just. Back to you. I'm here. I'm listening. Your interactive audience member." She smiled.

Blaine chuckled at her. Same Rachel but she was getting better. So much better. "Where was I?"

"You and Kurt had another fight over him flirting with guys at school?"

"Yeah. And I had no idea where you lived. Not that it matters cause at the time you were like five minutes from going on stage so I call up Dave and I'm like 'Comfort food. I need comfort food.' And he's like 'Meet me here. I got you.' So we pigged out at this sandwich place then I crashed in his dorm room after crying my eyes out about Kurt."

Blaine looked at her. "Nothing happened. I crashed on the floor in a sleeping bag." He took a deep breath. "Then Dave and I got this brilliant idea to do a food show on youtube. Nothing crazy huge. Basically just a tour of little known food places in New York that we like. We've not got a lot of hits but we do okay. It was more for fun than anything for me. Dave's trying out different things he's learning in class. He even turned in a few for extra credit. So that's fun." Blaine looked down at his hands. "I'm spending more and more of my time with Dave though. Like class muddied the waters but once summer came around and both Dave and I decided to stay in New York and get jobs. It's really noticeable now. Like I spend a lot of time with him. A few weeks ago I sat down and totaled it up. With NYADA it was mostly even but take away school and Kurt and I barely spend time together. We have a weekly date night and we fuck then but the rest of the time I'm either at work or hanging with the guys or eating and recording with Dave. Rachel hunting." He threw her a grin.

"Our current fight isn't about Dave. Kurt doesn't know about Dave. I'm sure he'd throw a fit. Jonathan and Thomas invited Sam and me up North a few weeks ago."

"Oh yeah. They invited me too but Santana had gone to visit her folks that week."

"Yeah well Kurt and Mercedes were pissed they didn't get invited too."

"They barely know Jonathan and Thomas. By design I thought."

"Right? So what made them think they were entitled to an invite I don't even know. Then I comment on how Kurt would have known where I was going if he wasn't so busy flirting with Adam to actually listen to me. Then he's all like you're the cheater not me! And said he'd never let me live it down so now I'm just supposed to sit back and watch him flirt with everyone and not say anything? But then how can I say anything when I spend most of my time with another guy? Another gay guy? Another gay guy I can eat what I want with, and exercise with, and watch sports with?" Blaine looked at Rachel with tears at the corners of his eyes. "I love Kurt. So much. I don't want to lose him." He sniffled. "but more and more I'm spending time away from him. If given the choice most of the time I'll go somewhere else with someone else than hang out with Kurt. And if I am hanging out with Kurt it's because I feel guilty that I've not."

He took a deep breath trying to control his crying. "Today I went over to that oven they call an apartment because they won't come to mine and Sam's cause of Jonathan and Thomas even though I wanted to go to the gym with Dave cause I've been to the gym with Dave like three times this week instead of hanging with Kurt. I'm so confused. I don't know what to do."

Rachel thought for a moment. "Don't go on a break. It never helps. It just keeps you in this weird limbo and makes everything worst. In fact it kind of sounds like that's what's happened. You're hardly spending time with each other yet you're staying loyal. Breaks are supposed to help you see that you need each other that you'll miss each other but as your lives get further and further apart it seems more and more apparent that you don't need each other. Not here in New York. Not like you did in Ohio."

Blaine nodded sadly. "I still love him."

"I know you do." She patted his back.

"I just don't know how we can make it work." He shook his head. "We tried living together when I first moved up here. That was a disaster. I am much less tolerant of all his bullshit than you were. Living apart has led to this limbo where we only spend time together when we feel guilty about not spending time together. I love Kurt. I'm attracted to him. I just prefer hanging out with the guys. Or you. Or Dave. Besides singing Kurt and I just don't have a lot in common anymore."

"Sounds like Finn and I and you know how that turned out. You and Kurt have been together for almost five years now with only the brief break during that time. I can tell you Kurt dated quite a bit during the time after your break up then."

"So you think we should break up?"

"I do. Sometimes it's for the best. Look at me. I was in and out of relationships constantly since I was fifteen. Finn, then Noah, then Jesse, then Finn, then Noah, then Jesse, then Finn, then Brody, then Finn, then there was the whole housing debacle. Once I got my apartment I decided that enough was enough. I made a promise to myself to remain single for a whole year. We're young. We need time to ourselves. By ourselves to really figure out who we are outside of high school and college and other people."

"What about Hunter?"

"The year ended about a week ago. We have been friends with cuddles leading up to it. When the date came he asked me out. We met when I was about a month in but he agreed with my reasoning and decided to do the same."

"He waited for you."

"Yeah he did."

Blaine thought quietly for several minutes. Rachel got up and retrieved some grapes from the refrigerator to share with her friend. He murmured a thank you and gratefully bit into the cold fruit as he continued to just think quietly in the calm understanding space Rachel had created.

Meanwhile Rachel did her dishes and did some social media stuff on her laptop to promote the show and her Thursday night singing as well. She emailed her dads and talked on Facebook Messenger to Hunter.

Cleo hopped into Blaine's lap to be petted which he did absent mindedly.

Finally Rachel stood up and changed for work. "Blaine?"

"Yes?" Blaine looked up and was surprised to see the apartment was darker now.

"I have to go to work. You can come with me and lose yourself in the chaos of backstage, watch the performance, or just hang out in my dressing room. You can stay here and just think without anyone bothering you too. It's your choice but I only have my keys. Hunter has the spares and he's working tonight. Once I leave and lock the doors you won't be able to get out until I come home."

Blaine thought for a moment before nodding. "If it's okay I'll just stay here."

"Okay sweetie." She kissed his cheek. "You know I'll support you no matter what you decide."

"I know. Thanks Rachel." He waved at her as she left and listened to the seven locks click into place. He kicked off his shoes and laid back on her bed. Immediately his chest became occupied by a large grey tabby. He scratched the cat's chin and descended into silent contemplation.

%#^ %^#$^%&#%^&#$%^#$%&%^*&%#^&#$%&#$%&#$

When it happened it was almost anticlimactic. Sam and Mercedes had a knock down drag out fight in the heat of the day that captured and held everyone's attention for a week as the model and the diva exchanged kept items in fits of picot, screamed and sang their feelings about each other out at the tops of their lungs.

Compared to that drama, which Artie recorded and posted to the closed Facebook group for Gleeks only, Kurt and Blaine's break up was quiet. Blaine invited Kurt out to eat but their feuding friends prevented that so he spoke to Kurt quietly in his room at Bushwicks. Kurt had screamed and cried and ordered Blaine to leave but it was lost behind Mercedes' song. Blaine waited quietly outside the door until Sam slammed out.

They walked home and Blaine listened to Sam rant. It was only once they were back at the apartment and Sam declared to Thomas and Jonathan that Mercedes was never allowed there again that Blaine chimed in. "Kurt too."

The cheer the models had let out at Sam's announcement was aborted very briefly before another cheer came from them.

Rachel didn't cheer when Blaine called her later and told her what was going on but she did agree to meet him and Dave for ice cream the next day.

She brought Hunter and Gertrude and was unsurprised to see Sam, Thomas and Jonathan there as well. Gertrude drooled on his knee and Blaine didn't even jump up and complain that his pants were ruined. He just petted the sympathetic dog and declared he wasn't going to date for a year. If anyone besides Rachel noticed the apologetic look he shot Dave they didn't mention it. Blaine told Rachel later that Dave understood and supported him.


	9. Epilouge

Epilouge…..

A year later Funny Girl wrapped up and Rachel took the year off to finish her time at NYADA. She moved again but just down the hall to a slightly larger apartment that she shared with Hunter. She auditioned for the part of Sophia in Mamma Mia and discovered she got the part days before graduation. Hunter asked her to marry him after Mamma Mia wrapped up and after he'd graduated. They briefly moved to Paris where Rachel got the lead in a musical there and Hunter worked for Sebastian's father. They married over there in the French countryside. When Rachel became pregnant however they decided to return to New York to raise their children. Rachel had five children in total. Three for her and Hunter and two for Blaine. Shelby and her dads were ecstatic.

Blaine finished his associates at NYADA while becoming a mildly successful YouTube star who sang and danced while cooking. Dave helped and produced the show with him. They slowly became a couple after Blaine's year off but didn't move in together until a couple of years after Dave graduated from NYU. Blaine took a number of cooking classes and got a regular job as a line chef before being picked to go on Hell's Kitchen. He lasted until just before the black team was picked but was happy for the experience and happier to come home to Dave and their two children.

Dave discovered a love of producing through his work with YouTube and while he did some work in front of the camera broadcasting for hockey games and the like he found his true talent lay behind the camera. His father was very proud of him and his mother eventually came to accept his choice after Rachel had their first child. Blaine and he have no idea which one of them is the father to either child given the brunette looks of all three parents. Their little girl looks just like Rachel and Hunter's daughter. Both girls are miniatures of their mom and grandmother.

Hunter climbed the corporate ladder with a ruthlessness that shocked almost everyone but Rachel. He staged a hostile takeover the night before their second child was conceived and bought another company a week before their third child was born. He juggled work and his family with ease and was applauded for extending family leave beyond that required by law and creating a free company daycare with advice from his mother in law.

Kurt finished his associates at NYADA and started auditioning. Despite the strained relationship between him and Rachel she did help get him the part of Luminare while she was Belle in Beauty and the Beast. This mended their friendship but they were never as close as they were. He returned to California with Mercedes when she got a record deal and got a steady acting job in a medical drama.

Santana and Brittany married and joined the Rockettes. They never had children but did foster teenagers. Between Brittany's acceptance and Santana's tough love they helped several kids.

Brody eventually found steady work as a dancer keeping only a handful of regular clients but Puck fully embraced his lifestyle as a male escort. Puck did very well for himself with a large pool of clients all of whom adored him. He fathered several children for his clients but only on the condition that he be involved in their lives and was a fantastic father. He didn't just consider himself a sex worker but a friend, a confidant, and a counselor to his clients. On their recommendation he even got the degree he didn't think he needed in psychology. He wrote a bestselling book about love, sex, confidence and freedom with a foreward written by Lauren Zizes. He never married content with the wide and varied group of women in his life. When asked he told the press he had many wives and he loved them all.

Quinn passed the bar in corporate law and worked for Hunter. She met Russ at Rachel's wedding and again at Rachel's first son's birthday. They came together with a crash of sparks each time but it wasn't the right time for Quinn. Russ was nothing if not patient though and eventually they were wed. No one ever thought the blonde singer at the Wooden Fish was also a high powered lawyer. They had two little girls and lived very comfortably above the bar. Quinn eventually brought the entire building for security reasons but the bar remained the small comfortable after work place for those on Broadway.

Sam, Thomas, and Jonathan continued modeling for many years before moving to Vermont and taking over a small ski resort. They did photography, hosted weddings, etc. Each one married and had children.

Finn taught Social Studies and Geography while helping with the football team and Glee Club at McKintley. While he eventually married a former Cherrio he never forgot Rachel and Quinn as the ones who got away.


End file.
